Disappointed Final Cut Pro X customers get a refund, official FAQ appears

It is public knowledge by now that a lot of professional video editors are unhappy with Final Cut Pro X. The main criticism seems to be that Apple‘s video editing software has been dumbed down from its previous version to make it more user friendly. The criticism has even been featured as part of a skit on Conan.

One of the biggest complaints is the inability to import projects from previous versions of Final Cut Pro. This is in addition to the removal of support for EDL, XML and OMF as well as multicam editing and 3rd party hardware used for capture and output. Apple says the missing features are coming soon, but that doesn’t seem to provide much comfort for customers who have already shelled out the $299 to buy the software.

Not helping to soften the blow over the disappointment of the upgrade is the fact that Apple is known to have a “all sales final” policy on items purchased through iTunes and its Mac App Store. In fairness, the policy is not that different from many brick-and-mortar stores when it comes to returning opened software whose media isn’t damaged. Due to the backlash though, Apple may be backing off its policy a bit to appease professionals upset about their purchase. The good news is that there are reports that some customers have been successful in getting a refund issued to them for the cost of the software. Customers receiving a refund are usually told they should see a credit within 5 to 7 days and that the refund is a one time exception to Apple’s current policy.

Clearly, Apple is attempting to mend bridges with some of the video professionals it has alienated with the disastrous PR caused by the lack of professional tools within the new version of the video editing software. Some might say it may have been a bit premature for Apple to include “Pro” in the software’s title until many of the features currently found in the old version are also available in the new.

If you’ve purchased the software and really just want it fixed rather than a refund, Apple has now put up a FAQ on its website. Hopefully that will get you the answers you need.